KALAMAZOO — A knee injury that once appeared season-threatening won't even cost John Rice a single football game.

The Western Michigan University defensive tackle, a junior college transfer brought in to help shore up a defensive line lacking beef, will play in Saturday's opener against Michigan State after missing barely more than a week of practice with a sprained right knee.

"They got him back. (Trainer) Kyle (Blecha) did a great job, the training staff, they got him back," Broncos coach Bill Cubit said Tuesday of Rice, who fell to the ground in pain during an Aug. 18 scrimmage, with WMU fearing he'd suffered torn ligaments. "I don't know how much he will play but he'll get some plays in."

Cubit called having Rice back "huge" in terms of needed depth he provides, even if he only plays part of the game.

"It's huge, because you're also talking about (relying on) a freshman, Travonte Boles. He's going to be playing in there, too, and he's a freshman. And he's going to walk out there, he's not riding those yellow school buses anymore. So it's going to be a big, big difference for him. Typical freshman, he's going to get all geeked up before the game and he's probably going to be a little winded early, just because of the enthusiasm."